Concave Slopes for Improved Stability and Erosion Resistance

摘要

Controlling erosion and sediment delivery on constructed slopes is crucial to limit the environmental impact. Laboratory and computational studies have demonstrated that slopes with concave profiles have greater erosion resistance than planar slopes. Also, in nature slopes are seldom planar in cross section and more complex contour geometries are common, with the cross sections often tending to be concave. Nevertheless, not all concave profiles provide the desired mechanical stability. In this article, an approximate solution for a concave slope profile based on plasticity theory is presented, with results validated by Finite Element analysis. With the growing use of precision GPS-controlled construction equipment, more natural appearing concave slopes with superior erosion resistance may become an attractive alternative to planar slopes.